Roadway-crossing signal



c ADLER, JR ROADWAY CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, I920- 1,394,264, Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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ROADWAY-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921..

Application filed February 1 1, 1920. Serial No. 358,769.

T 0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES ADLER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roadway- Crossing Signals, of

I which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved crossing signal for roadways that cross over railway tracks.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple signal device that will be set into operation by an approaching train or vehicle on the tracks and which will be cut out of operation immediately upon the front wheels of the foremost car, engine or vehicle passing the crossing.

A further object of the invention is to combine an audible and a visual signal in the same circuit, the audible signal being located at the crossing where it can be heard by persons about to make the crossing, and the visual signal preferably placed to the side of the crossing and along the trackway whereby the same may be seen by the engineer or motorman of the vehicle who will be able to see, by the position of the visual signal whether the signal circuit for the crossing ahead is operating or not.

The invention isdiagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein the numerals 1 and 2 designate the two track-rails, and 3, indicates the roadway crossing the said track-rails which is to be protected by an audible signal'such as a bell.

In carrying out the invention I provide insulation 4, in the two track-rails both at the crossing and at each side thereof where by to form two insulated track blocks or sections '5 and 6 respectively,one at each side of the road crossing 3.. V

For the block or sectiori 5, I provide a relay7.v andfor the block or section 6, there is provided another relay 8.

The relay 7, has a connection 9, with one side of a current-supply 10, provided from any suitable source, and said relay 7, has another connection 11, that leads to the track-rail 1, of sectionor block 5.

A connection 12, is provided from the other side of the said current-supply 10, to the track-rail 2, of said section orblock 5, so that the only break in the circuit from the current-supply 10, through the relay 7 and the two track-rails is the break between the track-rails 1 and 2 in said section or block 5. The circuit is therefore a normally open circuit and the relay 7 is normally deenergized. a

In a similar manner the relay 8, for the block Or section 6, has a connection 13, with one side of another current-supply 1 1 and another connection 15, leads from said relay 8 and connects with the track-rail 1, of the block or section 6.

From the other side of current-supply 141, I provide a connection. 16, that leads to the track-rail2, of said section or block 6.

The relay 7, is'provided with an armature 17, which is pivoted at 18, to a suitable support 19, and this armature carries a front contact 20, at one end and a back contact 21, at the opposite end. Some means, such as light spring 22, is provided to normally pull the back contact-end of the armature down when the relay 7, is. deenergized as it is illustrated in the drawing. f

A mercury contact device .23, is provided at the rear end of the armature so that when the latter is down its back contact 21, will dip into the mercury.

The relay Sis also provided with an ar mature 24., which is pivoted at 25 to a support 26 and this armature also carries a front contact 27 and a back contact 28. A lightspring 29, isalso employed to tend to draw thcbaclr contact-end of this armature down when the relay 8 is deenergized.

.A'mercury contact device 30, is provided for the rear'contact 28, ofarmature 24, for a purpose presently to be explained.

Between the two relays 7 and 8, I show a single mercury contact device 31, which is solocated that either of the front contacts 20 r 27, mav close a circuit therethroughas will presently be explained.

A loopor wirejconnection 32,.is provided from the pivot-point 18, of armature 17 to the pivot-point 25. of armature 24. and this loop is maintained at all times between the two armatures,

A second loop or. wire connection 33, is always maintained between the mercury contacts23 and 30. Y

My device also makes use of a third con nectionwith a current supply 34. an alarm device such as a bell 35. and a semaphore or paddle, arm 36. This arm may be mounted on a support carrying a lamp so that'the position of the paddle, at night, may be seen by the light displayed. This is a detail and not essential to the invention.

The alarm device is located at the roadway nals and 36 and the central. mercury con-o tact 31, I provide what may be termed the signal circuit, whereas the circuits involving the ciirrent supplies 10 and 14, the relays 7 and 8, and the track-rails 1 and 2, may be termed the control circuits. r

The signal circuit includes. a connection 37, from one side of the current-supply 34, to the loop 33, that connects the mercurycontacts 23 and 30. V

. From the other side of the said signal current-supply 34, I provide a connection 38, to the bell 35 a. connection 39, from the bell to'the paddle operating means to the central mercury-contact device 31.

By reference to the drawing it will be noted that the armatures 17 and 24 are of such length that in case both front ends are down, said ends will lap. The object ofthis construction will presently be explained.

In the operation of my device twosets of circuits are employed,--one being the relay circuit which is controlled through the track-rails, and the other the signal circuit which is controlled through the front-point of one armature and the back point of the other armature. The signal circuitis closed, only when the two armatures 17 and 24 are in reverse positions, that is, one up and the other down. When both armatures are up or both down the signal circuit willbe interrupted. I

The operation is as follows:

Let 41, designate a vehicle or train traveL ing onthe tracks 1 and 2. in the direction of the dart. When the vehicle entered the block or section 6, its wheels and axles closed the relay circuit. from current-supply 14, across the tracks 1. and 2 to and through relay 8, thereby energizing said relay 8 anddrawing armature 24, down until its front contact 27, makes contact with the mercury" in the central mercury contactdevice 31.

Immediately upon making this contact a signal circuit was established as follows: I

From signal current-supply 34, by wires 37 and 33, through the mercury contact 23,

to front point 21. of armature 17; thenby' loop-wire 32, to the armature 24, which was drawn down when relay 8, was energized;

throughsaid armature 24, to the front ipoint 27 thet l hr ugh mercur -conta t 31, to

wire 40, paddle-mechanism 36,- wire 39, bell 35, and wire 38 back to the current-sup ply 34. V V 7 It will thus be noted that this signal circuit is established through the down front point 27 of attracted armature 24, and the down back-point 21, of the released armature 17.

Under the conditions just explained and as illustrated in the drawing the signal cir cuit is completed and the signals are open ating, and will continue to operate until the vehicle 41, crosses the insulation 4, between blocks or sections 5 and 6.

Immediately upon the. front wheels of the vehicle 41. passing into section 5, the circuit from current-supply 10 through the tracks of saidsection 5, and through relay 7 will be established thereby energizing said relay is blocked by the vehicle or train and the signal is no longer needed.

.At this moment in the operation of the device, both armatures 17 and 24,-will be down and both ofthe baclr'contacts 211and,

28 will be up and therefore out of contact with mercury-contacts 23 and 30. p

With both, of'these back-contacts i rupted or open, current from the signal current-supply 34, cannot pass to thesignal mechanism and the latter will at onceb'ecome inoperative.

When the vehicle or train 41, has "passed:

entirely out of section or block 6, the circuit through therelay 8, will. be broken, but as armature 17 isheld down by theenergized relay 7, and the front end of that armature 17 overlaps the front end" of the armature 24, the latter cannot swing. up and both. armatures will thereforebe' kept down until relay 7 becomes de'e'nergized. The signal therefore remainscut-out and inoperative; lvhen'thevehicle passes out 0f*;S6Ct1OI1 or block 5, the relay 7, will become deenergized because of the interruption of the relay circuit between thetwotrackerails 1 and 2*of said block 5, and upon deenergizing this relay 7, its armature 17, will move'up and by so doing will release the front endof armature 24, which latter will also. swing up and all circuits will be broken.-

Having described my invention, I cl aim,*-.

1; Ina signal device for railway crossings the combination with the track-rails formed intoseparated insulated sectionsat opposite si l s ofacrossing-point, a relay for one se tion said relay having a connection with a current-supply and another connection with one of the track-rails; another connection from said currentsupply to the other trackrail of said section; a relay for the other insulated traclnsection and said latter relay having connection with a current supply and the two rails of said other tracksection; an armature for each relay and each armature having a front contact-point and a back contact-point said armatures being arranged so that when both are down one will engage and hold the other; a signal device, and a signal circuit including the front point of one armature, the back point of the other armature and the signal device when the armatures are in reverse positions.

2. In a signal device for railway crossings the combination with the track-rails formed into separate insulated sections at opposite sides of a crossing-point, a relay for each section; a separate track-controlled circuit for each relay; an armature for each relay and each armature having a front contact and a back contact; said armatures being arranged so that when both are down one will engage and hold the other; a connection between the two armatures whereby the front-point of one armature may be placed in circuit with the back-point of the other when the armatures are in reverse positions; a signal device and a signal circuit including the signal device, the connection between the two armatures, the front-point of one armature and the back-point of the other armature when one relay only is ener ized.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES ADLER, JR. 

